Napoleonic Wars (1803-15)
Views of naval engagements and maps of battles
Castle Ferro, 1810
Commencement of the Action between His Majesty's Cutter Entreprenante P, Williams, Lieut,,t & Commander; of 8 Guns, & having 33 Men on board; with four French Privateers, / having 24. Guns & 180 Men; under the fire of Castle...
published Aug 1812Aquatint with etching and engraving; printed on paper; hand coloured; edged with paper | 43.4 x 60.0 cm (image) | RCIN 735156.a
The Entreprenante with eight 4-pounders and thirty-three men and boys, commanded by Lieutenant Peter Williams (active 1801-14), had been becalmed off the Spanish coast near Castle Ferro when she was attacked by four French privateers, together manned by 170 men and fifteen guns. After a battle lasting about four hours, the French retreated, heavily damaged, while the Entreprenante lost her topmast and had two guns disabled.
This view shows the Entreprenante, at about 11.00 am, firing at one of the largest of the privateers on her starboard bow (right side; to the left of this view). The view is dedicated to Charles Vinicombe Penrose (20 June 1759-1 January 1830; later Sir Charles, and Vice-Admiral), commodore for port duties at Gibraltar whither the Entreprenante returned following the action.
A manuscript note, bottom right of the recto, suggests that the view was engraved by R & D Havell. The source of this information is not known. This print is one of a pair, its companion is at RCIN 735156.b.
Additional text: [bottom left, left of title:] Proof.
For further reading, see:
C.D. Hall, 'Penrose, Sir Charles Vinicombe (1759–1830)', Dictionary of National Biography, 2004; online edition 2008.
See the entry for Lt. P. Williams in the Three Decks- Warships in the age of sail website: http://threedecks.org/index.php?display_type=show_crewman&id=1854 (last accessed 11 August 2017).
Condition: one fold line.
George Andrews (active 1794-1813) (publisher) [bottom centre, below edge of view:] Published August 1812, by G. Andrews, Marine Print Warehouse; 7, Charing Cross, London.
J Pringle (active 1810) (artist) [bottom left, below edge of view:] Painted by J. Pringle.
? Robert Havell (1769-1832) (engraver)
? Daniel Havell (d. 1826) (engraver) [bottom right, below edge of view, illegible traces of an ?engraver’s name: R. & D. Havell?.]
Sir Charles Vinicombe Penrose (1759-1830) (dedicatee)
Watermark: J WHATMAN [date cropped]
Condition: one fold line
40.2 x 60.0 cm (neatline)
43.4 x 60.0 cm (image)
47.6 x 65.0 cm (platemark)
51.2 x 68.2 cm (sheet)
Printed title:
Commencement of the Action between His Majesty's Cutter Entreprenante P, Williams, Lieut,,t & Commander; of 8 Guns, & having 33 Men on board; with four French Privateers, / having 24. Guns & 180 Men; under the fire of Castle Ferro, between Malaga & Cape De Gatt, on the 12,,th Dec,,r 1810. The Brigs are detained by His Majesty's Cutter Entreprenante. / Is respectfully Dedicated to Commodore C,V, Penrose, by his most obed,,t humble Serv,,t / George Andrews. [bottom, below view]
Additional text:
[bottom left, left of title:] Proof.
Annotations:
(Recto) [bottom left, black pencil, in Evelyn Heaton-Smith's hand]: XV.156.a; [bottom right, black pencil, Evelyn Heaton-Smith's hand]: R & D Havell sc. (Verso) [bottom left, black pencil:] 208.a.(i); [top right, black pencil:] 8.
George III catalogue entry:
Naval Engagement Two Views of the Action between H.M. Cutter Entreprenante, P. Williams Lieut. and Commander, and four French Privateers under the fire of Castle Ferro, between Malaga and Cape de Gatt, on the 12.th of Dec.r 1810: by J. Pringle, published by Andrews, 1812.
Subject(s)
Castell de Ferro, Andalusia, Spain (36°43'32"N 03°21'18"W)
Bibliographic reference(s)
H. Parker, Naval battles from the collection of prints formed and owned by Commander Sir Charles Leopold Cust, With an introduction by C.N. Robinson, London, 1911, no.208.a
C.D. Hall, 'Penrose, Sir Charles Vinicombe (1759–1830)', Dictionary of National Biography, 2004; online edition 2008.
W. James, The Naval History of Great Britain, from the Declaration of War by France in 1793, to the Accession of George IV. A new edition, with additions and notes, vol.V, London, 1837, pp.242-2
See the entry for Lt. P. Williams in the Three Decks- Warships in the age of sail website: (last accessed 11 August 2017).
Page revisions
14 March 2024
Current version
